SMS marketing is an essential tool for driving a communication strategy that is effective. Favored by large companies, its more personal—even intimate—nature makes it highly popular among small and medium-sized businesses.

It must be said that, compared to email, SMS offers many advantages: optimal deliverability, an exceptional open rate, quick message reading, and a low unsubscribe rate.

Inboxes flooded with promotional offers do not work in favor of email marketing. In fact, 4 out of 5 recipients say they want to receive SMS messages from their favorite brands and stores. Source: BDM

Are you a small business looking to increase conversions while strengthening customer loyalty? This channel is made for you!

We’ll tell you everything about the benefits of SMS marketing for small businesses.

How does SMS marketing work?

SMS marketing is simply the act of sending text messages directly to your recipients' mobile phones.

It is an attractive solution if you are looking to boost your sales, as you can reach a large number of people without it costing you very much. Because yes, the return on investment (ROI) for SMS is very high, much greater than that of email.

Whether you sell products or services, whether you have a physical store or an online shop, no matter your business, setting up SMS campaigns will allow you to offer an optimal customer experience and boost your sales.

What are the benefits of SMS for you?

1/ An exceptional open rate

The open rate for SMS marketing is exceptional. According to a study by Findstack, the average rate is 98%, compared to about 20% for email marketing. Yes, you read that right: 98%.

What does this mean for you? That practically all your contacts will read your messages. With SMS, you can be sure to reach your target audience, whether they are prospects or existing customers.

2/ Instant and direct communication

Did you know that an SMS is read within the first 3 minutes of being received?

A major advantage is that SMS is read instantly, unlike email. This makes SMS a preferred channel for communicating relatively important information.

Order tracking, appointment reminders, or limited-time promotional offers. With SMS, you will get a quick response.

Another interesting point is that you can reach consumers even when they are on the go, as a quick glance at their mobile is all it takes. Conversely, who checks their promotional emails while they are out and about?

3/ An easy-to-use channel

Yes, SMS is an attractive channel for you as a small business because it is very easy to set up. You just need to find a tool that is easy to get the hang of. You can then quickly launch your first campaign.

No technical skills are needed to create and send SMS messages to your customers' and prospects' mobile phones. You choose who you want to send it to, write a short message (maximum 160 characters), and with one click, it’s sent. Plus, it’s incredibly fast!

4/ Unbeatable profitability for small businesses

SMS marketing is one of the most cost-effective channels. Firstly, its costs are relatively low. Secondly, it generates a very high engagement rate; if you look closely at the key performance indicators (KPIs), the open, click-through, and conversion rates are all high.

When you're a small business, you often watch your spending, and that’s perfectly normal. Unlike other overpriced solutions, with SMS, you can be sure to control your budget while boosting your sales. Isn't that great?

At Octopush, we offer a variety of plans:

• Starter (€29/month): 47 cents per SMS
• Business (€159/month): 36 cents per SMS
• Enterprise (€489/month): 34 cents per SMS

To learn more, feel free to request a free demo. Octopush will guide you to the solution best suited to your needs.

5/ Customer loyalty at the heart of your marketing strategy

"Retaining a customer is much less expensive than acquiring a new one." You have surely heard this before.

SMS is a powerful tool for your loyaltystrategy. This channel encourages repeat purchases from satisfied customers if, after they place an order, you offer them products that complement their purchase—products they are likely to enjoy.

Simply send the right products to each of your customers to encourage them to take action. With rich SMS or RCS, you can send messages that are personal and interactive, offering a much richer experience.

And since every SMS is read much faster than an email, you will encourage them to take action much sooner. The immediacy of SMS works in your favor.

When should you send an SMS?

• To promote a new offer, product, or service
• To share important information
• To offer private sales and special deals
• To promote an event
• Etc.

6/ Personalizing the shopping experience

Personalization is a major asset for your communication strategy. By using precise data collected throughout the customer journey, you can send SMS messages that perfectly meet your customers' expectations.

You will see better results because your customers will be delighted. Let’s be honest, there is nothing worse than receiving messages that aren't relevant to you!

Imagine you own a general store and want to introduce your new offer to your customers and prospects. You can personalize your SMS with the recipient's name and recommend products that meet their specific needs and align perfectly with their shopping preferences.

This creates a memorable customer experience that will strengthen their engagement and build greater loyalty to your business.

Read our previous article if you want to learn about the best practices for SMS and how to best personalize them.

Imagine a personal services provider organizing a recruitment drive. Sending a message with the recipient's name is good, but you can personalize much more by adding other variable fields (your agency name, date, time of the interview). With rich SMS, you have the option to add a link redirecting your recipient to a specific page, such as a Google Maps link.

7/ A powerful lever for converting more customers

Why is SMS marketing used so widely by businesses, both large and small?

Because their conversion rate is high!

If you manage to create personalized SMS messages, as we saw earlier, you will convert much more. The right message at the right time…

Yes, all it takes is the right message to make consumers want to click a link and then make a purchase. Don't hesitate to boost your sales.

8/ New features

SMS has evolved significantly in recent years. You have a huge range of possibilities.

For your first SMS campaign, you can get familiar with the creation and sending tool by focusing solely on "standard" SMS. Later, you can send more sophisticated messages featuring images, videos, or interactive buttons.

9/ Very simple tracking of your statistics

Tracking your performance is essential. Evaluating the results of each campaign allows you to make the necessary adjustments.

How do you measure the performance of an SMS marketing campaign?

It’s very simple!

With Octopush, you have access to all the statistics for each campaign at a glance.

Are you getting excellent click-through and conversion rates? Congratulations, your campaign is a success!

On the other hand, if your KPIs are lower than average, consider reworking the content of your message. It may not be impactful or personalized enough. You really need to make your recipients want to take action, whatever that action may be.

In conclusion

As you can see, SMS campaigns have a rightful place in your marketing strategy.

However, remember that to implement effective marketing practices, you must comply with current laws, particularly regarding individual privacy.

Sending SMS is no exception to the rule! You must first obtain explicit consent from your customers before sending any messages to their mobile phones. If you do not obtain this consent, you cannot send them SMS, regardless of the message.

Octopush guides small businesses toward growth and the successful achievement of their goals by offering tools adapted to the size of their company.

Are you looking for a simple solution to boost your sales?

Launch professional and high-performing SMS campaigns with Octopush today.